obeisance

noun

Definition of obeisancenext
as in homage
a show of respect or acknowledgement of the authority or importance of another They made obeisance before the king and queen. She earned herself some political enemies when she failed to make the proper obeisance to those in power.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of obeisance But as wrong-headed as the Court’s obeisance to the executive branch has been (see, for example, its 2024 ruling on Presidential immunity), that deference has its limits. — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2026 After a decade of seemingly supine obeisance, there is no obvious reason why the military leadership would suddenly rouse itself to oppose Xi. — Jonathan A. Czin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2025 But Zuckerberg isn’t the only one paying abject obeisance to the president. — Max Taves, Mercury News, 11 July 2025 In the first case, Obama was accused of showing obeisance to a foreign ruler and Islam. — Brendan Cole shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for obeisance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obeisance
  1. homage
  2. respect
  3. salute
  4. nod
  5. bow
  6. reverence
  7. submissiveness
Noun
  • The backstory Opened in 2019 as Fairmont’s first hotel in Latin America, the property transformed an existing hotel into a contemporary homage to Rio’s golden age.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The dancing partners faced some brutal criticism from Ballas after performing their Argentine tango homage to The Omen.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of homage
Noun
  • In Ossoff, Democrats were buoyed by a candidate who won respect at home even from some Republican officials for the strength of his constituent services.
    — Sam Gringlas, NPR, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The governing body also called off the official presentation for Spain’s Under-21 international against Japan as a mark of respect and solidarity towards De Miguel’s family, teammates and Tenerife supporters.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of respect
Noun
  • Lawrence flashed the three-finger salute made famous by her Hunger Games character for the cameras.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The post accused bar employees of ignoring complaints about the costume and claimed the man made Nazi salutes.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of salute
Noun
  • The interiors play on terracotta tones that nod at once to the neighborhood’s brick walls and clay tennis courts, with white as a further reminder of the sport.
    — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The Euphoria alum posed in nothing but a string bikini top and matching low-rise pants in a nod to a 2000-era look.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of nod
Noun
  • The layout includes a full-beam owner’s suite at the bow, two guest cabins on the lower deck, and a flexible living/galley space amidships that can become a third cabin if desired.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Teyana Taylor managed to tick both boxes in an architectural Nicholas Oakwell Couture pantsuit, festooned with a giant bow below the waist.
    — Danielle Naer, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of bow
Noun
  • In shooting and harvesting her own dinner, writer Heide Brandes finds community—and reverence—among the sorghum fields of South Dakota.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The Lone Star State native has cultivated a warm reverence for many of his costars across 40 years in film and TV, as Hawke shares in the latest installment of Vanity Fair’s Scene Selection.
    — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of reverence
Noun
  • Attraction is a function of parentage and looks and submissiveness.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 May 2026
  • But for Coles, his indoctrination to law enforcement has been a different level of submissiveness.
    — Dan Pompei, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
Definition of submissiveness

Browse Nearby Words

obedient
obeisance
obeisant
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Cite this Entry

“Obeisance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obeisance. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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